S2EP4: RVU Reimbursement & MNA Surgery for Sleep Apnea

Posted on 21 Feb 2022
By Bryan McLelland
In Podcast Episode

Maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) surgery is highly effective in curing moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). But how does that surgery impact a patient’s facial profile?

Are we inadvertently beating people with an ugly stick in the name of better breathing?

On this episode of Dentist Brain Candy, I cover two thought-provoking articles from recent editions of the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, sharing the findings from a study on the impact of MMA surgery for OSA on facial profile esthetics.

I also discuss a paper identifying the trends in work relative value units (or RVUs) among oral and maxillofacial surgeons participating in Medicare from 2013 to 2017.

Listen in to understand why I find the RVU system so frustrating and learn why the free market is a far better way of determining reimbursement rates for a given dental procedure.

Key Takeaways

How the physician fee schedule based on relative value units or RVUs came to be

Why I find the RVU system incredibly frustrating and offensive

Why so few maxillofacial surgeons participate in the Medicare system

How a recent study uncovered an increase in productivity of OMSs and a decrease in the number of Medicare patients served by OMSs in the period from 2013 to 2017

Why the free market is a far better way of determining reimbursement rates for a given dental procedure than the RVU system

The high success rate of maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) surgery in curing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)

How a recent study found that MMA surgery for OSA does not have a negative impact on facial profile esthetics

Why I’m an advocate of building wealth through cashflowing real estate

How I earn cashflow from owning a portion of the building my practice occupies